Renowned Playwright, Professor Akinwunmi Ishola Dies At 79

Renowned Ibadan born actor, playwright, dramatist and writer of ‘O Le Ku’, Professor Akinwunmi Ishola has been reported dead.

Aged 79, he waved good bye to the world in the early hours of Saturday, February 17, 2018.

Professor Ishola, father of four, who authored ‘O Le Ku’,a novel that was adopted into a movie by Mainframe Productions, attended the University of Ibadan where he bagged a Bachelor’s degree in French. He earned a Master’s in Yoruba Literature from the University of Lagos after which he became a lecturer at Obafemi Awolowo University.

His many novels included Efunsetan Aniwura, which he wrote as a student in 1962,  O Le Ku and Iku Olokun Esin, a translation of Wole Soyinka’s Death and The King’s Horseman. Ishola also wrote popular movies like Saworo Ide, Agogo Eewo and Thunderbolt (Magun) among others.

PMParrot’s findings revealed that Professor Ishola was among the second set of members of the National Association of Seadogs (The Pyrates Confraternity). The set which came behind the Original Seven members of the association was famously known as the “Original 15”.

The deceased, an indigene of Ibadan is already being mourned by the Government of Oyo State.

The state’s Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Toye Arulogun, in a chat with PMParrot said the news of the demise of the iconic writer came as a rude shock.

“The state government will come up with a formal reaction in the next couple of hours,” submitted the Commissioner.

Packaged by Olayinka Agboola